Online reviews can be a key business tool to attract customers

Four or five stars might look good on a consumer review, but businesses must earn the attention of their potential customers.

Consumers want the reviews to be authentic, to see at least 10 of them and to know that the reviews are positive, or the business responded in a positive way to negative feedback from unsatisfied customers. They also want the reviews to be recent to know what they’re reading still remains valid.

The Importance of Reviews

How important are these reviews to a customer’s purchasing decision? According to Bright Local’s “Local Consumer Review Survey 2019,” the cohort of respondents reading online reviews for local businesses is 82%.  

The annual survey, which explores trends in online reviews, was conducted in November 2019 with a representative sample of 1,005 U.S.-based consumers. It focused solely on local business reviews on sites such as Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor and Yelp.

The Key Statistics of Reviews

According to the survey’s key findings, there are some interesting statistics from the past year:

• 76% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

• 52% of 35- to 54-year-olds always read reviews, compared to 28% last year.

• 97% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews.

• 91% of consumers are more likely to use a business after reading a positive review.

• 53% of consumers will consider using a business with 3 or fewer stars. 

Responding to Reviews

Businesses can respond by asking their customers for reviews to increase review counts, keeping reviews recent, making sure the majority of reviews are positive and replying to any negative reviews. Businesses can seek reviews during a sale, on a receipt or business card, in an email or SMS message, or over the phone.

For any negative reviews, businesses are advised to provide a prompt reply with further details to explain the situation, offer a clear solution and use the comments to improve their overall business. 

Businesses also should continue to respond to positive reviews to show they are responsive to all types of feedback.

BBB Reviews

Another avenue for reviews is through the BBB, which helps customers identify trustworthy businesses. 

The BBB has steps in place to ensure the reviewer was a customer of a business. The BBB validates the email address or phone number of the reviewer, allows the business to confirm the interaction and to respond to any comments, removes any personal information and does not allow anonymous or compensated reviews. The reviews that meet these criteria are then published to the company’s BBB Business Profile.

Start with Trust® For more tips and information, visit bbb.org. 

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